Air
by ShootingArrows
Summary: When a mission gone awry leaves Roy breathless Kaldur has air to spare. literally.


The mission was taking a sharp turn south. Roy and Kaldur were paired to complete this operation _without_ their mentors, and would have easily had the intel the planned off of been accurate. The dockside factory had been filled with more enemies and less exits than they were prepared for.

The teens had fled down a stark utilitarian hallway and ended up in a low ceiling-ed room that branched off from the main production line - where waste went. They were on a ledge before a deep waterway that drained via a large pipe presumably out to sea.

Kaldur formed a large shield with his waterbearers and maneuvered beside Roy. Roy took shelter behind him, firing an explosive arrow at the doorway that did little to deter the deluge of enemies entering. His hand groped around his quiver for an arrow, he started when his fingers only brushed a few fletched ends. His quiver was running low.

"I'm gonna be out of arrows any moment now. We _need_ an exit." He muttered to Kaldur. Kaldur glanced around with a furrowed brow.

"When I drop the shield, take a deep breath." Kaldur remarked suddenly. Roy nodded, gaze not leaving his targets as he knocked another arrow, every muscle wired for Kal's signal.

The water suspended before them shot forward to temporarily blind the nearest adversaries, Roy gasped in a breath, and felt Kaldur firmly yank him over the side of the ledge by the arm. Kaldur dove deep, pulling Roy with him, the rush of water disorientating his human senses. Roy kicked and used his free hand to try and help push them along, the waste tunnel they were in stretched on, a dark tube of confining water. If not for the Atlantean's reassuringly firm grip on his upper arm Roy would not have been able to tolerate it without panic.

His calm was short lived. Roy hadn't taken a very large breath before they dived, and his lungs burned with no end in sight. Roy expelled the air, trying to trick himself into lasting longer but instead his lungs felt like a vacuum. Roy's heart raced, he was going to drown. He tried to shove Kaldur away, no reason both of them should die. Thinking of Kal sent a wave of regret through him. There were a number of things he thought he'd have more time to sort out about Kaldur.

Roy felt himself turn vertical and Kaldur move his free arm to the back of his head. His eyes strained in the dark-he couldn't tell if he had tunnel vision or not. It felt like he did, like his consciousness was falling back through, like he was fading.

All of a sudden there was something on his mouth and warm air being forced in. Roy's first instinct was to flinch away in panic, but a pressure on the back of his head kept him in place. Roy's hysteria faded with the rush of new oxygen. Kaldur kept his mouth on Roy's until Roy stilled and nodded slightly. Kaldur moved away, returning to the previous grip on Roy's arm.

Roy hesitantly started swimming forward, then Kaldur put out a burst of speed and they surged down the pipe and out into a lighter colored body of water. Kaldur rocketed them towards the surface, presumably out of concern for Roy. He held Roy afloat as he gasped and spluttered.

Roy waited until they were standing on the rocky shore and he had regained his breath to turn and stare at Kaldur.

"What...How?" He wasn't sure what question he wanted to ask. Kaldur's gaze shifted down and he hesitated.

"I hope you do not take offense I had no wish to..." Kaldur began apologetically.

"Dude, you saved my ass back there," Roy interrupted with giddy awe, cheeks growing pink,"I just wanna know how."

"I had unprocessed air in my lungs that you had a greater need of than I." Kaldur explained. Roy nodded a few times and scanned their surroundings. "I hope you are not too upset by my delivery method..."

"Upset? Not at all. I didn't mind. Really...It was nice-of you to save my life I mean."Roy conveyed his gratitude awkwardly. Kaldur replied with a fond smile.

"Perhaps we should do this more often?" Kaldur suggested eventually. Roy looked slightly befuddled.

"The mission or...?"

"Both...either.."

"I would hope our future missions involve fewer near death-experiences." Roy commented, then smirked. "Though, it could have ended on a worse note."


End file.
